3 days to run and 4 runs to do...What's a girl to do?!?

After taking Monday off as my rest day, I realized I only had three days to get in my 4 workouts for the week.  Well crap, SOMEONE (ie:  me) didn't plan that too well.  Since my 3 important runs are long run, tempo run, speed work, I thought about doing that.  Then I actually thought about doing that.  Um...ya... my legs need either a rest day or an easy day after each of those runs.  Drat!  So instead I decide to do a tempo or speed/interval workout Tuesday, easy Wednesday, and long run Thursday.

I tweeted for some advice, and Glenn invited me out on his 10 mile tempo run in the "bitterly cold" 65* temps.  Jerk, I mean THANKS!  I took him up on his "virtual" run, but opted to do 6 miles with 5 at a tempo pace.  No worries, my run in the gym was equally as tropical, evidenced by the fountain of sweat that was spraying off of me. Not kidding, the worst I've ever sweat at the gym.  I think I should be more embarrassed by the amount of SWASS I have when running indoors, but I don't...no shame here!

Anyway, it took me awhile for my legs to warm up.  They seemed to be trudging along for that first mile.  Apparently they were still maaaaad about the 10 miler I put them through this weekend, so sorry leggies.  After the first mile was done, I bumped up the treadmill to 8:19 pace.  Most of my tempo runs have been somewhat effortless as of late, but this one was work fo sho.

Not only was I spraying the treadmill and everyone within a 10 foot radius of me, with sweat, but I was running hard.  I think the fact that everyone has joined my gym, and it's super busy after work, has increased the gym's temp a solid 8700 degrees, and my body can't handle the heat.  Coincidentally, it also can't handle the cold.  Go figure.  :p  I literally was counting down each quarter mile while I was running.  I finally had to crank up the pace during the last mile just because I was ready to be done.

I did 6 miles in 50:42 for a pace of 8:29.
1. 9:36 (warm up)
2. 8:15
3. 8:15
4. 8:19
5. 8:19
6. 8:04 

Tonight I did an easy 4 miles in 37:50 for a pace of 9:28 and my legs felt like lead.  Hopefully they're feeling better in the morning because I have an 8 mile long run scheduled for 8 am.  I might even be purchasing some YakTrax so I can get a run in while I'm out of town this weekend, visiting the land of snow (wait?  don't I live in the land of snow??)

Speaking of snow and weather, guess who's temps got above freezing today?!?!?  Oh ya, ours.  It might even be in the UPPER 30's this weekend.  Holy heat wave.  And yes, I wore just shorts and a jacket to the gym tonight...... Gotta live it up, right?  How sad is it that it's in the 30's and it's over 50 degrees warmer than it was last week?  Ok, enough about the weather.

Random observation:  I was looking at my running log from a year ago (Dec. 08/Jan. 09) back when I started running again after taking 3-4 months off (and really running at a half-assed level prior to those 3-4 months) and I was shocked at what I saw!  I was a good 20 lbs. heavier a year ago.  Now I know I've gotten in shape and gotten a lot more fit in the last year, but I guess I didn't realize by how much.  Not only that, but I was running 2.5 miles in a 10:45 pace (walk/jogging).  It's really fun to see progress in a numerical sense for me.  And it's super motivating to see what I can do in 2010.